6. Paige

6

PAIGE

Lara has to be able to help me, or I'm doomed. It's life or death right now. Possibly even literally, since I still have no idea what changed that I now suddenly need to have a grumpy lapdog around.

I toss myself on her bed, head on a pillow, arm over my eyes. I don't look at her, but I can almost feel her rolling her eyes at me because I'm dramatic. I always have been.

"Oh, that's right. I know what this is now. You heard about the bodyguard thing."

I pull my arm away from my eyes to frown at her. "It's not just the bodyguard thing, Lara. It's that the bodyguard I'm being saddled with is Kael ."

Lara just stares at me, frowning. "So?"

" So ? Kael ignores me all the time! I think he even goes the extra mile to avoid me. He can't stand me!"

"Again, so? Not like you're marrying the guy, he's your bodyguard ."

"My bodyguard who's going to be staying at my house, living under my roof, contaminating my space with his grumpiness and assholery." Why can none of them understand me?

Lara snickers.

"What the hell is so funny?" I huff out a breath.

"You're just still the most dramatic person I've ever met." She shakes her head, but I know it's not an insult because she's smiling. "Look, it's just for a little while. Until this whole Murphy thing blows over."

"Oh, you mean the rivalry that has plagued our family for decades ?"

"No, just the stuff with Bree." She shrugs. "I just know things will calm down after that."

"It could take god knows how long." I know it, and so does she, but since she's not the one having to live with her nemesis, I guess she doesn't care.

Unfortunately, I care. A lot. Because we can't stand each other.

I can't imagine having to deal with Kael in my house twenty-four seven, eating in my dining room, sleeping in my guestroom. I'll end up going insane.

Lara nudges my ribs with her elbow. "Get off my bed and go out somewhere, spend time with your friends, do something fun. You've been cooped up too long. It'll be good for you to get back to some semblance of normal."

"Maybe you're right." I know she is, but it's not something I think I'm ready to do just yet.

I hate that it's time to get back and face Kael.

Being stuck with him will be hell, but I can try and ignore him as much as possible. Or maybe I can lay down some ground rules. I mean, it's my house, right?

Hell, with as insolent and grumpy as he is, he'll probably spend all his time cooped up in his room, and I'm stressing over nothing .

I guess there's only one way to find out, so I stand up, sighing.

Lara stands up too and gives me a quick hug.

"It'll all be okay, Paige," she whispers into my ear, and just like that, emotion drowns me all over again.

God, what's wrong with me? Ever since the attempted kidnapping I've been close to tears at the drop of a hat. Not that I was ever any different. I feel a lot. Feel it all under my skin. Deep into my soul. I love hard. Hate harder.

But since that fateful day, it feels like some part of me has been dimmed.

Maybe Lara's right. Maybe I need to get out there again, go back to living my life.

It scares the hell out of me, but what if that's what I need to do to feel better?

I heave out a sigh and hug her back. "See you on Friday, sis."

"Love you, Paige. Always remember that. All I want is for you to be happy, and I'll always be here for you, okay?"

I nod. It's nice that I can always count on my family. That I always have my father's house to come back to if my world is falling apart.

As I leave the room, Declan's standing in the hallway, his arms crossed over his chest as he frowns.

I sigh, trying to brush past him, but he holds my arm.

"You can't do that again, Paige. This is not a game."

I know, but I will not apologize. Not today, and not for this. No one cares that I have to live with my nemesis for god knows how long.

Declan sighs. "Okay, so you're going to play this the hard way."

"Is there any other way?" I shove past him and head outside to my car .

I brought myself here, I can get myself home, thank you very much.

Kael, the devil himself, is leaning against the driver's door of my car. Legs and arms crossed.

I want to punch him in his smug face. "Move it."

Of course, as always, talking to him as the same effect as talking to a wall.

"Do you mind? I'd like to get inside my car and go home now, please."

He holds out his hand and curls it a couple of times as if asking me to hand him something.

I frown.

He raises his eyebrow and looks at his hand then back at me again.

"I'm sorry, I don't speak… whatever your language is. Now, do you mind?"

I take a step closer to my car and the man blocking it, and an irresistible scent envelops me. Like pine and oak, something woodsy.

When I realize this is Kael's scent, I try not to sniff the air as he moves to block my passage even more.

What the hell?

"Not happening, princess. That's my job now. Comes with the demotion to babysitting you."

"First of all, you are not babysitting me, you are my bodyguard. Which is little more than a fly on my wall. Kids interact with babysitters, and I will not be interacting with you unless I'm either dead already or close to it, so I hope that clears that confusion."

I throw my hair back over my shoulder. "And second, I can drive myself, thank you very much. Get your own damn ride. "

"There seems to be a little misunderstanding here, princess."

"Argh. Stop calling me that. And there's no misunderstanding. You work for me, so you do what I say, and right now I say move the hell out of my way so I can get home."

He shakes his head. "See? That right there is where you're wrong. I don't work for you. I work for your Da. And if you don't do everything I say, you are back in there—" He tilts his head toward the mansion. "—so fast your head will be spinning."

"How dare yo?—"

"No, princess. How dare you ?"

He leans toward me, looming, his gaze razor sharp. "This is my job. My responsibility. So, either you do what I say when I say, or I will go back in there, refuse this job, and get you locked up in there in the next two minutes."

My breath leaves me. "You wouldn't dare."

His eyes narrow to mere slits. "Try me."

I huff, glaring at him, before stomping my foot, growling, and moving around the car to get into the passenger side.

He gets behind the wheel and again holds out his open hand.

I huff, but pass him the key, and he puts it in the ignition, starts the car, and instantly takes off, before I even have my seatbelt on.

I'm holding on to the door like my life depends on it, and maybe it does.

He drives like a bat out of hell.

"You're worse than Lara."

"What?"

"Never mind! "

He just throws me this half-grin that might be kind of sexy…if this wasn't Kael.

Nevertheless, I try to enjoy the fresh air from the open window whipping my hair around as we head toward my place.

We arrive, and I walk up to my brownstone.

Knowing Kael will be my very unwelcome and unwanted guest makes me appreciate even more the fact that Da wanted me to have something nice and insisted in me having four bedrooms.

I open the door, and Kael scoffs.

"You really are a little princess, aren't you?"

I frown, turning around to glare at him as he follows me in, carrying the bags he insisted we got from his car.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Daddy bought you the most expensive brownstone in town."

"It's not that expensive," I mutter, although I honestly have no idea what it cost.

Truth is, until I decided to have my own place, I knew nothing about life outside the mansion, except when it came to where to party. And even that was Lara's choice most times.

Lara…

I sigh.

Even my sister doesn't know I've never been with a man. Although I assume she suspects. We've always been so close.

But sometimes, it's hard to be Lara's younger sister.

She's so beautiful and classy, and I'm... well, I'm just Paige. I can be pretty out there, and I'm not everyone's cup of tea .

There isn't a man alive who wouldn't want my sister, but as for me?

It's different.

I've been isolated a lot of my life, especially from guys my own age, and I guess it's made me a bit self-conscious.

Kael steps inside behind me. "Can I take the downstairs bedroom? By the door? It'll help me keep a look out."

"I don't care what you do," I say firmly. "As long as you don't cramp my style, you can sleep on the couch or on the porch for all I care."

Kael snorts. "Think I'll take the bedroom if it's all the same."

I shrug. "Just don't be waking me up at all hours of the night with your girls or whatever."

"I don't have girls when I'm on a job." He sounds slightly offended.

Oh.

I'd been under the impression that looking the way he does, Kael probably got around a lot. He certainly has a bit of a reputation among the girls I know.

Not that any of them have actually been with him. I've just heard stories. Stories like he prefers girls who work without their clothes on.

"I sleep in." Lies. If I have any say, I don't sleep at all, but if it keeps him out of my hair, I'll say anything. "Don't wake me up early."

Kael spreads his hands. "Fair enough, little princess."

"I thought I told you to stop calling me that."

He just smirks at me. Curse that little dimple on the right side of his face when he half-smiles. It just makes him more attractive.

"Fair enough, your highness."

I scoff and climb the stairs to my room.

I text Sophie immediately.

Guess who my new bodyguard is?

Not ten seconds later, I have an answer on my phone. Who?

Me: Kael fucking Sullivan.

It takes her a moment to reply, but she's probably at work. She works at a local hotel that moonlights as a casino. She's a blackjack dealer for their more nefarious guests.

At least he's hot, she finally responds, and I can't help but laugh.

Sophie's right about that. But that doesn't mean I'm even slightly interested.

Even though he does smell really good.